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NASA plans to launch SLS into orbit

Submitted by Haley Rothwell on Tue, 2015-04-07 05:14

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been planning to launch its Space Launch System (SLS) into orbit. The mission includes a number of science experiments above a low orbit around the earth. The experiments include launching of some nano satellites into space.

The SLS is the space agency's heavy-lift launch rocket, which is the strongest rocket booster system the agency has ever built. Earlier, the system successfully completed a number of ground operations. According to the agency, the SLS is all set to try out its space proficiencies. As per reports, the system could be helpful in taking cargo and many other items to space.

The reports stated that in the first mission to orbit, the SLS will launch some nano satellites into space where they travel around the planet. The nano satellites will be of a size of a box of shoes and their weight will be about 30 pounds. As the satellites are small in size, they are cheaper and many of them can be launched in space at once. During the first launch, about 11 small satellites will be launched into space, as per the reports.

Those satellites will be placed inside an Orion spacecraft in the ring that connects the spacecraft to propulsion stage of the SLS. They will be launched when the Orion craft will get clear of Earth's gravity. After that, the Orion will continue to orbit around the moon.

According to reports, about three experiments are already in the works for the first launch of the SLS. Date for them is still to be announced, but is expected to be in 2017. These experiments could be Lunar Flashlight, Near Earth Asteroid Scout and the Bio Sentinel.